BBC - Scotland's History - Iona Scotland's History Scotland's History Articles Iona Iona The island of Iona, off the west coast of Scotland, is the symbolic centre of Scottish Christianity. Through 1400 years of history its fortunes have fluctuated, from its heights as one of the greatest centres of learning in Dark Age Europe, to its lows as a crumbling ruin. However, thanks to the fame of its monastic founder, St Columba, the island has always been revered as a holy place, and, over the centuries, Iona has continually been re-invented and reconstructed as a centre for pilgrimage. Iona's fame began in 563 AD when Columba, with thirteen followers, landed at the south end of the island, at St Columba's Bay, to establish a monastery. The Adobe Flash player and Javascript are required in order to view a video which appears on this page. You may wish to download the Adobe Flash player . The great abbey we see today belongs to a later era. Columba's Iona was very different. Columba had little interest in grand buildings - he was seeking seclusion among the 'desert' of the Atlantic Ocean.

Almost nothing remains of his original monastery however traces of the vallum, or ditch, that surrounded the monastic enclosure, can still be seen. Inside would have been a settlement that resembled a small village - a modest, timber church, surrounded by huts for the monks to live and work in, and small cells to provide the solitude necessary for prayer. These cells, or chambers, used for prayer, are also found on the nearby islands of Canna and Eileach Naoimh, and certain islands off the coast of Ireland such as Skellig Michael. From Adomnán, who wrote Columba's biography 100 years after his death, we know a great deal about the early monastery's daily life. Withdrawn, contemplative and austere, its primary purpose was the contemplation of God through prayer and learning. Holy texts from around Europe were copied, poetry flourished and Adomnán himself wrote a guide to the Holy land - a fact which illustrates that the monastery's intellectual horizons stretched right across Christendom. As a consequence Iona amassed one of the greatest libraries in Western Europe and became a powerhouse of Dark Age learning. Columba died on the 9th June 597 AD.

Adomnán writes that his final day was spent copying a psalter, on the Torr An Alba (the Hill of Scotland): the rock which stands in front of the Abbey today. He urged his successor as abbot to take up his work, then went to the church, dying in prayer before the altar with a final gesture of blessing on his monks. He is believed to have been buried below the small, stone chapel shrine, which is attached to the front of the abbey. It was around this building, or an earlier version of it, that the cult of Columba developed. Columba's monastery became a centre of pilgrimage. At first, access was restricted to high status pilgrims: royal and ecclesiastical visitors, or those in serious trouble, who stayed at its guest house, but later more humble pilgrims would have been allowed access to the monastery. The pilgrims travelled to Iona in life and in death. Many of the kings of Scotland, Ireland, and even of the Vikings, were buried there.

Some of the most famous Kings of Alba, from Kenneth MacAlpin to MacBeth, made their final journey there - across the sound to Iona, onto the harbour, and up the Street of the Dead to the burial ground, the Relig Oran. This royal tradition was only broken twice whilst The Western Isles stayed a part of the Kingdom of Alba - once by Constantine mac Aed ( buried St Andrews) and again by Malcolm Canmore (buried at Dunfermline). The last king to be interred on Iona was Malcolm's brother, Donald Bane, before Malcolm's son, Edgar, surrendered the island to Magnus, King of Norway, after he subdued the isles to his will in 1098 AD. Recently the tradition was revived, and Iona was again the centre of national mourning when the Labour leader, John Smith, was buried there. Wealthy pilgrims brought money to the monastery, and in the 8th century some of the finest Dark Age works of art were created to glorify Columba.

The Book of Kells, now held in Trintity College Dublin, was crafted on Iona, along with the celtic high crosses from the 8th and 9th centuries - dedicated to St Martin, St Odhrain, St John and St Matthew. The crosses are of exquisite celtic design and were given by wealthy patrons to promote the Cult of Columba. In 794 AD Iona experienced the first of many Viking raids that eventually forced the monastery into decline. As one historian has commented: rich monasteries like Iona were the Dark Age equivalent of drive-in banks to the Vikings. The Adobe Flash player and Javascript are required in order to view a video which appears on this page. You may wish to download the Adobe Flash player . In 806 AD, a total of 68 monks were slain by the Vikings at Martyrs Bay, just south of the Ferry landing. By 825 AD the monastery, thanks to its exposed position, was virtually abandoned. St Blathmac refused to leave, and suffered martyrdom at the hands of Vikings for refusing to divulge the treasures and relics of Columba.

In 849 AD Columba's relics were removed and divided two ways between Scotland and Ireland. Iona may have been abandoned, but in the 10th century its power was revived after the vikings converted to Christianity and intermarried with the local Gaelic populace. New building works began, such as St Oran's Chapel, beside The Road of the Dead; and Margaret, Queen of Alba, made donations to promote the Cult of Columba. In 1200 AD, Raghnall, son of Somerled, virtual King of the Isles, brought in the Benedictine Order and built the great abbey. He also established St Ronan's Nunnery, named after one of Iona's monks, which accomodated up to 400 Augustinian nuns - the ruins of this building still stand within the village. Raghnall's sister, Bethag, was instated as St Ronan's first prioress. The importation of Reformed Monastic Orders, like the Benedictines, to the heart of Columban monasticism wasn't without controversy. The Bishop of Derry attacked the building works, but Raghnall prevailed and the abbey was completed.

The Benedictines revitalised the Columban cult on Iona until the Reformation when the abbey was abandoned and slowly fell into ruin. For just under 400 years the settlement lay in ruins until, in 1938, the Iona Community, a Ecumenical Christian group, was founded there by the Rev George MacLeod. Committed to finding the relevance of the Gospel, they set about restoring the ruined abbey. More articles St. Colmcille | Knocklyon Parish | St. Colmcille’s Church | Ireland St. Colmcille’s Church St. Colmcille St Colum Cille (521-597) There are three patrons of Ireland, St Patrick, St Brigid and St Colum Cille. Colum Cille was born in Donegal. He came from the powerful O’Neill clan. His original name was Crimthann. ‘Crimthann’ meant Fox. He was a direct descendant of Niall of the Nine Hostages. He could have been called this name because he was red-haired. The name Colum Cille, or Dove of the Church, was his later monastic nickname.

Sometimes he is referred to as Columba, which is the Latin for Dove. In 690 Adomnan, sixth Abbot of Iona, wrote the ‘Life of Colum Cille’ .The second biography is a short one written by an unknown author in about 1160 and known as ‘The Homily Life’. The third and longest was written by Manus O’Donnell in 1532. It was called ‘Beatha Colaim Chille’, the life of Colum Cille. There were already many monastic settlements in the country at this time. They were centres of learning and holiness. He began his study at the monastery of Moville in Co. Down. This had been founded by St Finian. He later studied at the famous monastery of Clonard, which was founded by St Finian, no relation of the Finian of Moville. In the 540s Clonard was regarded as one of the finest academies of learning in Europe. There he met St Ciaran, who later founded Clonmacnoise. Later he moved to the monastery of Glasnevin where he met many scholars and saints.

On one occasion when he was at the monastery of Moville he came across Finian’s book of the Psalms. Colum Cille decided to copy it secretly. He did, and when he was brought before King Diarmait who was to decide who was the rightful owner of it, Diarmait made his famous decision: “To every cow its calf and to every book its copy”. This might be regarded as the first copyright case in history! Later fighting broke out about the decision. After a battle for it Colum Cille got it back and it has since been known as the ‘Cathach’ or Battle Book. Colum Cille went into exile as penance and landed in the island of Iona in 563 and there he established his famous monastery. Legend has it that a shrine, (Cumhdach), was made for the Cathach. After the Treaty of Limerick 1691, it was taken to Trance by the O’Donnells and brought back to Ireland in 1813. It is now in the Royal Irish Academy. It is the oldest surviving manuscript of the psalms. Colum Cille returned to Ireland to settle two disputes.

The High King of Ireland was claiming to be the overlord of the Scottish Dal Riada. This meant that they must pay him tax. As no compromise seemed possible it was felt that no one could settle the case except Colum Cille. The other problem was the threat to the liberty of the poets and bards of Ireland. The meeting was held at Druim Ceat. Colum Cille’s judgement was accepted it both cases. The King of Dal Riada had to acknowledge the status of the High King but was relieved of paying taxes. In settling the question of the poets and bards he said: “For know you that God himself bought the psalms of praise from King David and on that account it is right for you to buy the poems of the poets and keep the poets in Ireland. And as all the world is but a fable, it were for you to buy the more enduring fable rather than the one that is less enduring”. Like all the Celtic people Colum Cille was very conscious of the Communion of Saints and so had a great reverence for the dead.

In his rule for the monastery he wrote: “Perform prayers for the dead with fervour, as if everyone of the faithful who had died were a special friend of yours”. Founder of Monasteries Colum Cille founded his first monastery in Derry, on the site of the present city of Derry. It became known as The Oak-tree of Colum Cille, Doire Colum Chille, from which the present city takes its name. He soon established for himself a reputation as a scholar of scripture and a poet. The next monasteries he founded were at Raphoe and Durrow. The site at Durrow was given to him by the King of the southern Ui Neill kingdom of Tethbe. Durrow, (Dearmach), means Field of the Oaks. After Durrow came Kells. It was to rival and later surpass Durrow as a centre for piety and culture. The next one was at Clonmore in Meath. Later he founded one on Lambay Island. The site opposite Lambay had a well, renowned for its clear water. He blessed the well, which was called ‘sord’ an old word meaning “pure”.

Because of this the monastery became known as Sord Colum Cille from which the town of Swords gets its name. Durrow The original foundation was probably constructed of timber. There is crop mark evidence of the area of the enclosure. It encompassed an area of 500 metres in diameter. The outer enclosure manifests as a double bank. The sculptured High Cross at Durrow has scenes from the Old and New Testaments. In 563 he left Ireland with a number of his followers for the west coast of Scotland, “wishing to be a pilgrim for Christ”. He founded the famous monastery on the island of Iona. This became a great missionary centre. Colum Cille died there on June 9th 597. The Book of Durrow The monastic scholars could write in Irish or Latin. Writing, as they did it, was an art in itself. The Gospels attracted the scribes. They copied them using elaborate decoration or ‘illumination’ as it is called. The manuscript was first located for certainty in Durrow in the period between 877 and 916 when King Flann Mac Mael Sechnaill was king of Ireland.

It was placed in a cumdach (shrine), because it was believed to be a relic of St Colum Cille. It was written around 600, perhaps later. After the monasteries were closed down in the 1540s the precise location of the manuscript was not known for certainty although it seems to have remained in local hands. It is now in Trinity College. The book opens with an image of a double armed Cross embedded in a field of interlace and bordered by panels of interlace. It contains all four Gospels. The Annals of Ulster record for the year 1095 the burning of many churches, among them “Durrow with its books”. Jimmy Murray, O Carm Iona, Scotland | Order of Bards and Druids Iona, Scotland by Philip Carr-Gomm If you feel the call of Iona, then answer that call and make the journey to her. She is like a very old Crone, rocky and barren and eternally loving and gentle and tough and wise. She is very old. She is very holy. There is no other place on earth quite like Iona. Like all Shamballah places, Iona shall always be.

Iona is a Grail-lit Isle. Iona is deathless. On Iona one finds the Rainbow which bridges Heaven and Earth. Elinore Dettiger The tiny island of Iona in the Scottish Hebrides is believed by many to be one of the most sacred places on earth. Formed by the very oldest of rock, it may have been a sacred island of the Druids before becoming the centre from which St Columba converted most of Scotland and northern England to Christianity. Monks from Iona created the Book of Kells and founded the monastery of Lindisfarne in Northumbria. The island became a place of pilgrimage and royal burial as its fame as a centre of learning spread far and wide. A Benedictine monastery and nunnery later replaced Columba’s settlement which was destroyed by Vikings. In recent times the Iona Community has restored the medieval abbey ruins and promotes a dynamic approach to Christianity which emphasises social justice, while ‘alternative’ pilgrims - Pagans, Druids and New Age believers - visit the island to bask in its atmosphere. This island set apart, this motherland of many dreams, still yields its secret, but it is only as men seek that they truly find.

To reach the heart of Iona is to find something eternal. G.E. Troup Travelling to the western isles of Scotland is partly a journey to the light, for as you travel west towards the Atlantic the quality of light changes - becoming translucid, more heavenly and less earthly. At the same time the sea mists bring rainbows of every kind - short and transient, or vast and arcing across the sea. Iona is reached after two sea crossings - first from the Scottish mainland at Oban to the island of Mull, and then across the Sound of Iona on a ferry that occasionally brings an island resident’s car, but which is more often filled with the pilgrims and tourists who come in their thousands to this wild and - at first sight - unremarkable island. The reason why so many are drawn to this small island that is only 1.61 km (1 mile) wide and 5.63 km (3.5 miles) long becomes apparent when you discover its history.

Formed from some of the oldest rock in the world, and looking as if it has been birthed from nearby Fingal’s cave on Staffa, it is said that the island was once filled with stone circles and that it was a centre of pagan religion long before Christianity reached its shores. One of its old names was Isla na Druidhneach - Isle of the Druids. The island, however, shows no traces of megalithic structures, but this may indicate that the island was indeed considered sacred. In 83 CE, Demetrius of Tarsus had been asked by the Roman Emperor to draw a map of the north of Scotland. Demetrius told Plutarch that on sailing around the coast he had discovered an island which was a retreat for holy men who were considered inviolate by the local people. Some scholars believe this island was Iona. The Arrival of Columba By the sixth century any reputation the island may have had for fostering pagan sages was eclipsed when the Christian missionary Columba arrived from Ireland with 12 companions.

He had taken the name Columba, Latin for dove, as a religious name, preferring it to the one he had been given at birth - Crimthann, Gaelic for fox. Having studied in monastic schools, Columba had founded the monastery of Derry in Ulster at the age of 25. He then travelled the length of Ireland for 15 years preaching and founding hundreds of churches and monasteries. At the age of 42 he left Ireland in search of fresh pastures for conversion. Some say he provoked a battle in which many were killed in a dispute over his right to keep a copy he had made of a psalter belonging to the scriptorium of St Finian. According to this version of history, Columba exiled himself from his homeland in order to work in penance as a missionary in Scotland. The thirteen Christians arrived in a coracle at the southern tip of the island, and set about creating a church and monastery complete with kitchen, kiln, stables, mill and guesthouse – all surrounded by a defensive bank and ditch that excluded both women and cattle since Columba believed "where there is a cow there is a woman, and where there is a woman there is mischief".

Despite these restrictions, the community prospered, new followers joined, and two years later Columba travelled to the mainland to successfully convert the king of the Picts, having first engaged in a magical battle with the king’s druid. Soon monks from Iona were travelling all over Scotland, building churches and preaching the gospel. Three prelates from Iona founded the monastery of Lindisfarne, which became the most important Christian centre in the north of Britain. Columba gained a reputation for both saintliness and strong leadership, and clan chiefs and kings eagerly sought his advice. On one occasion, in the earliest recorded mention of the Loch Ness monster, Columba was said to have saved a man’s life by ordering the creature to depart. The Book of Kells and the Stone of Destiny Today Iona seems remote from civilisation, but in Columba’s time the islands were centres of activity, since they were much easier to defend than mainland strongholds. The island became a power-house in the spread of the new religion.

Ionian monks produced the famous Book of Kells, and a tradition of royal burials developed so that 4 Irish, 8 Norwegian and 48 Scottish kings were laid to rest there, including Macbeth - made famous by Shakespeare. A legend reinforces the connection between royalty and the island by stating that the Lia Fail - also known as the Stone of Destiny, Stone of Scone or Coronation Stone - was brought to Iona by Columba, who then used it as a travelling altar on his missionary activities to the Scottish mainland. By the eighth century the island was being raided by the Vikings, and Kenneth McAlpine, the first king of the Scots, may have taken the stone for safe-keeping to Scone, near Perth, where it was used for coronations. By then Columba was long gone. He had died in 597 having prophesied, according to tradition: ‘In Iona of my heart, Iona of my love, instead of the chanting of monks shall be the lowing of cattle. But before the world comes to an end, Iona shall be as it was.’ In 806 the Vikings slaughtered 68 monks, and within twenty years the community had disbanded.

In 1098 the island fell for a time under Norwegian rule until 1156, and then in 1204 St Ronan established a Benedictine abbey and monastery on the site of Columba’s church while his sister Beathag established a nunnery nearby. Columba had apparently banished all women to the small island in the sound known to this day as the Isle of Women. The mounds of pebbles still found on the island are said to have been created in penance by those monks who had succumbed to their temptations, but now women were able to worship on Iona itself. On one wall of the nunnery ruins you can see the worn image of what was probably a Sheela-na-Gig – a squatting female figure displaying her genitals that is either a pagan fertility symbol or a medieval morality icon warning against the dangers of lust.

The Second Coming of Christ on Iona The spiritual associations between women and Iona are reinforced by the legend that Mary the mother of Jesus visited the island, and by a prophecy mentioned by the author William Sharp, writing as Fiona Macleod in 1910: "When I think of Iona I think often, too, of a prophecy once connected with Iona....the old prophecy that Christ shall come again upon Iona, and of that later and obscure prophecy which foretells, now as the Bride of Christ, now as the Daughter of God, now as the Divine Spirit embodied through mortal birth in a Woman, as once through mortal birth in a man, the coming of a new Presence and Power: and dream that this may be upon Iona, so that the little Gaelic island may become as the little Syrian Bethlehem.... A young Hebridean priest once told me how, 'as our forefathers and elders believed and still believe, that Holy Spirit shall come again which once was mortally born among us as the Son of God, but, then, shall be the Daughter of God. The Divine Spirit shall come again as a Woman.

Then for the first time the world will know peace'." Iona was admired by Dr Samuel Johnson when he spent the night in a barn on the island in 1773, and by Felix Mendelssohn who captured the atmosphere of the region in his Hebrides Overture, composed between 1830 and 1832. The Island Today In the modern period the island has taken on a new lease of life as a site of immense spiritual power. It has become a place of pilgrimage for Christians, Pagans, Druids and the followers of New Age beliefs who all feel drawn to its atmosphere. It has also once again become a centre for a vibrant expression of the Christian faith. As the twentieth century opened, work was begun on restoring the abbey ruins, and in 1938 the Rev George MacLeod founded The Iona Community, which continued the work of restoration by uniting craftsmen and trainee ministers. The Community has since grown to become an ecumenical group that is committed to seeking new ways of Christian expression. It is politically active, promoting the ideals of economic and ecological justice; it opposes nuclear weapons and campaigns against racism and the arms trade.

It is also active in inter-faith dialogue and in work with young people. Today, most visitors come to the island just for a few hours, touring the ruins of the nunnery and visiting the rebuilt abbey and the local shops before leaving. But to truly appreciate the unique atmosphere of Iona you need more time - to spend it away from the crowds and the buildings in the wild places of the island. Then, perhaps, you will agree with the words of Fiona Macleod: “None can understand it who does not see it through its pagan light, its Christian light, its singular blending of paganism and romance and spiritual beauty. There is, too, an Iona that is more than Gaelic, that is more than a place rainbow-lit with the seven desires of the world, the Iona that, if we will it so, is a mirror of your heart and of mine.” FURTHER QUOTES What is the magic in the name Iona which lures men and women from the far corners of the earth to the tiny rocky island off the west coast of Scotland? Surely not the scenery, for there is more magnificence on the mainland of Scotland. It must be something deeper.

Something knocking on the heart which speaks of mystery and holiness, of dreams and truths which have outlived time....There is an indescribable atmosphere in Iona as if a 'Presence' dwells in the hallowed soil of the tiny island which has been washed by the waters of prayer down through the ages. George and Helen Sandwith, The Miracle Hunters Do you, too, not hold Iona, motherland of all my dreams, as something rare and apart, one who has her own lovely solitude and her own solitary loveliness that is like no other loveliness? In your heart, as in mine, it lies an island of revelation and of peace. Fiona Macleod, The Winged Destiny: Studies in the Spiritual History of the Gael A few places in the world are to be held holy, because of the love which consecrates them and the faith which enshrines them. Their names are themselves talismans of spiritual beauty. Of these is Iona.... Fiona Macleod, Iona TIMELINE 2,700 Million years ago Iona is formed with some of the oldest rock on the planet – the hard crystalline Lewisian Gneiss.

400BC to 500 AD – The island may have been sacred to the Druids 563 AD - Columba and 12 companions land on Iona from Ireland 597 - Columba dies 794 - Vikings attack Iona for the first time 806 - Viking massacre of 68 monks 825 - Monastery virtually abandoned 849 - Columba’s relics removed and divided between Ireland and Scotland 1098 - Island surrendered to Magnus, King of Norway 1156 - The people of the Hebrides and the mainland west of the Great Glen create the “Lordship of the Isles”, controlled by Somerled, a Clan Donald Chieftain who had defeated local Norse rulers. 1200-1204 - Benedictine abbey built on site of Columba’s original settlement. 1207 - A nunnery is founded in addition to a monastery. 1561-1574 - The Monastery and nunnery close down under the Reformation. Some nuns may have continued to live on the island in a cave.

1902 - Work begins on rebuilding the derelict abbey 1938 - The Rev George Macleod founds the Iona Community, which restores the remaining abbey buildings, and creates a thriving Christian community. 1965 - Abbey restoration complete 1960’s - From about this time Iona becomes a place of pilgrimage for alternative spiritual seekers, such as contemporary Druids and Pagans, as well as Christians. St. Columba | Christian missionary | Britannica.com Christian missionary Alternative Titles: Saint Colum, Saint Columcille St. Columba William III St. Columba, also called Colum, or Columcille (born c. 521, Tyrconnell [now County Donegal, Ireland]—died June 8/9, 597, Iona [Inner Hebrides , Scotland]; feast day June 9), abbot and missionary traditionally credited with the main role in the conversion of Scotland to Christianity . St.

Columba, stained-glass window, 14th century; in Gloucester Cathedral, England © Ronald Sheridan/Ancient Art & Architecture Collection Columba studied under Saints Finnian of Moville and Finnian of Clonard and was ordained priest about 551. He founded churches and the famous monasteries Daire Calgaich, in Derry , and Dair-magh, in Durrow. Columba and his 12 disciples erected a church and a monastery on the island of Iona (c. 563) as their springboard for the conversion of Scotland. It was regarded as the mother house and its abbots as the chief ecclesiastical rulers even of the bishops. Columba gave formal benediction and inauguration to Aidan MacGabrain of Dunadd as king of Dalriada . Columba accompanied Aidan to Ireland (575) and took a leading part in a council held at Druim Cetta, which determined the position of the ruler of Dalriada in relation to the king of Ireland. The last years of Columba’s life appear to have been spent mainly in Iona, where he was already revered as a saint .

He and his associates and successors spread the gospel more than any other contemporary group of religious pioneers in Britain. Three Latin hymns may be attributed to Columba with some degree of certainty. Excavations in 1958 and 1959 revealed Columba’s living cell and the outline of the original monastery. Learn More in these related articles: Favorite Monks: St. Columcille (St. Columba) - Celtic Christian Saints (The Prayer Foundation) "That man is little to be envied, whose patriotism would not gain force upon the plain of Marathon, or whose piety would not grow warmer among the ruins of Iona." -Dr. Samuel Johnson, during a visit to the Island of Iona in 1773 Missionary to Pagan Scotland Columcille (521-597 A.D.) was the Irish Celtic Monk who founded the Celtic monastery on the Island of Iona off Scotland where the Book of Kells was created, and converted the pagan Northern Picts (Northern Scots) to Christ. He lived about 60 years after St. Patrick .

Born into the Irish royal family in 521 A.D., his name in Gaelic was "Colum," which means "dove." Columba is the Latin version of the name. His nickname in Ireland was, and is, Columcille. Colum Cille means "dove of the church." At a very young age he was placed in a monastery. He was one of the best scribes (book copyists of illuminated manuscripts) of his age. He is said to have created over 300 books during his lifetime. One of his works is The Book of Durrow, which Monk Linda and I saw with The Book of Kells at Trinity College when we were in Ireland. It is considered one of the best of the illuminated manuscripts which have been preserved down to our time. Founding Monasteries Columcille started many monasteries in Ireland (some put the figure as high as 100), including those at Derry, Durrow, and Kells. At the age of 44, Columcille left Ireland and founded the monastery on Iona (563-5 A.D.). It was a base from which he would bring to Christianity the Northern Picts of Scotland.

It became the place where the Scottish Kings received final interment; even MacBeth is buried there. 100 years later Iona's ninth Abbot, Adomnan, would write a book called: Life of St. Columba. A Desire to Carry the Gospel to a Pagan Nation and Win Souls to God Why did Columcille leave Ireland? Adomnan says it was because of "a desire to carry the Gospel to a pagan nation and win souls to God." Other reasons given (but they didn't appear in the records until much later) are because of the Battle of Cooldrevny, at which 3,000 died. One story says that Columcille copied a Psalter without permission and was ordered to give up the copy he had made. When he refused, his relatives backed him up, and Cooldrevny occurred. Another story says that during the battle Columcille prayed against those who fought against his relatives, and these suffered the majority of the casualties. In these stories, Columcille was banished from Ireland (or he banished himself) until he should convert as many pagans to Christ as the number of warriors who were killed in the battle (3,000).

______________________________ Contemplative Missionaries The contemplative prayer life of Columcille and other Irish Christian monks included intense missionary activities. Celtic Christians never saw any conflict in this, as some of the later medieval European monks did. After all, they were just imitating Christ and the Apostles. These had prayed; these had preached the Word of God. Where was the conflict? Francis of Assisi would later come to the same conclusions. ______________________________ Columcille and the White Horse Opposed by Druids Not long after establishing the monastery on Iona, Columcille was preaching the Gospel on his way to Inverness, to witness to the Pictish King Brude. He was stopped by a group of Druid Priests, who demanded that Columcille and his twelve monks return to Ireland. These pagan priests claimed that Druidism was the true religion, and drew a circle on the ground, saying that Christ conflicted with the nature cycle. Columcille took his staff and drew an intersecting cross within the circle. Columcille said that God could not conflict with nature because God had Himself Created nature, and rather instead complemented it; working with it and through it.

Later, when Iona grew, wherever Columcille preached to the Picts, he would leave behind 12 monks, founding a new monastery that would become a center of Christian teaching, and eventually a Christian town. Though the Druidic Priests opposed him all the way, little by little the light of Christ covered Northern Scotland. Later, Ninian would bring Christ to the Southern Picts, and Scotland would be completely converted. One of Columcille's monks at Iona, an Irishman named Aidan , would be sent out to found a monastery at Lindisfarne , becoming the missionary monk who brought the Angles and Northern England to Christ. The White Horse Adomnan records a story about Columcille and a white horse. Columcille was 77 years old, and it is said that he was aware of his quickly approaching death (he died that very week; the year was 597 A.D.). Columcille was weary, and sat down to rest. The loyal work-horse that carried the milk-pails from the booley (cow-pen) to the monastery came over to Columcille and put his head against him.

The servant who had been walking with him went to lead him away, but Columcille said to let him alone. Columcille felt that the horse sensed that he (Columcille) was going to die, and wanted to comfort him, or perhaps say good-bye. Whether this particular story really took place or not, it is an illustration of Columcille's great love for animals, and they for him. ____________________________ St Cuthbert's Website : Celtic Way - Saint Columba Saint Columba Seminars Columba the Saint In many ways Columba isn't really what I think of as a typical saint - he was a large, loud, active, energetic, impetuous man, he was a warrior, good at strategy, a politician, a great organiser and administrator - but he was also very close to the spiritual, he was a healer, he had a real love of nature and creation, he wrote poems and songs and loved books - and so he was a man of many different qualities and contradictions. He is forever associated with Iona - a tiny island off the west coast of Scotland - and is credited with bringing Christianity to Scotland - yet he lived in Ireland until his 40s. So what is his story?

He was born in what is now County Donegal in the north of Ireland in the sixth century (AD 521) into a wealthy royal family. It is said that Columba might even have become king but instead he entered a monastery when he was a young man. He was given the name Colum (meaning "the dove"). He became a priest at a monastery founded by St Finian, and after that he spent many years in his home region establishing literally hundreds of churches and monasteries. So how did he come to Scotland? The story is that, during a visit to see St Finian, Columba secretly copied a beautifully inscribed book of Psalms that Finian had brought back from Rome, and thus devalued the original book. Columba refused to give back the copy and St Finian challenged him in court. The king delivered a verdict in favour of St Finian ("To every cow belongs her calf; to every book belongs its copy"). Columba however still refused to give back his copy of the book and a clan war broke out between the king's followers and Columba's supporters. Many people died in the fighting, and Columba was very ashamed.

He decided to make restitution by bringing to Christ, as many people in another land as had lost their life in his own land in the war. He had chosen the way of "white martyrdom" - exiling himself from his homeland as a penance. So, along with 12 monks, he sailed east and arrived at the island of Iona. The tradition of white martyrdom meant that he had to go far enough away in his exile so that he could no longer see his homeland and Iona was the first place they came across where they couldn't see Ireland, even from the highest point in Iona. He therefore settled in Iona and founded a monastery there. This was AD 563 and Columba was 42. The monastery on Iona was fairly typical of the time in many ways - the monks lived in separate cells and spent many hours in worship and contemplation, and in producing beautiful copies of the Gospels, and they worked hard on the land to support themselves and in providing hospitality to visitors. Columba was quite strict with his monks and he hated injustice, but he also comes across as caring for his brothers. Iona became the largest Christian centre in the north of Britain, with thousands of monks.

But it wasn't just about people coming to the island. This was combined with a huge amount of missionary work. Much of the highlands of Scotland were evangelised from Iona - Columba was a great sailor and he was able to sail to many of the Scottish islands as well as going far inland. He was good at politics and strategy and used his royal connections he was able to influence the life of a large part of Scotland. It is said for example that he raised from the dead a child of one of the Pictish kings in Inverness, who was then converted to Christianity and encouraged his subjects also to convert. (It's even written that Columba came across the Loch Ness Monster on his travels and that the monster obeyed him!) There was another side to him too. Columba wrote many poems and songs as well as being a man of action, and he used to be heard singing as he travelled around. He performed miracles and healings (like the one I've mentioned), and he also made a number of prophesies, which were amazingly accurate. One of the best known prophesies was one he made when he knew he was about to die.

In 597, at the age of 76, he climbed the hill overlooking the monastery in Iona, blessed the monks, and said "In Iona of my heart, Iona of my love, Instead of monks' voices shall be lowing of cattle, But ere the world come to an end Iona shall be as it was" Iona continued to be an important Christian centre after Columba's death, and there was a Benedictine monastery and convent founded there in the middle ages. However, the monasteries and convent on the island were closed by the Scottish reformers in the 1560s, they fell into ruin and the island returned to a grazing place in accordance with Columba's prophesy. The island wasn't greatly visited until the restoration of Iona Abbey, and the founding of the Iona Community in the 1930s by George Macleod which continues to grow and inspire Christians today from throughout the world. Again, just as Columba predicted.

Victoria Linford A Prayer of Saint Columba A Prayer of Saint Columba Sacred Isle of Iona Saint Columba, Apostle to the Picts Apostle of the Picts Born December 7, 521, County Donegal, Ireland Died June 9, 597 (aged 75), Iona, Scotland Venerated in Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodoxy Patronage floods, bookbinders, poets, Ireland, Scotland Early life in Ireland Columba was born to Fedlimid and Eithne of the Cenel Conaill in Gartan, near Lough Gartan, County Donegal, in Ireland. On his father's side he was great-great-grandson of Niall of the Nine Hostages, an Irish high king of the 5th century. In early Christian Ireland the druidic tradition collapsed due to the spread of the new Christian faith. The study of Latin learning and Christian theology in monasteries flourished. Columba became a pupil at the monastic school at Clonard Abbey, situated on the River Boyne in modern County Meath. During the sixth century, some of the most significant names in the history of Irish Christianity studied at the Clonard monastery.

It is said that the average number of scholars under instruction at Clonard was 3,000. Twelve students who studied under St. Finian became known as the Twelve Apostles of Ireland, Columba was one of these. He became a monk and was ordained as a priest. Tradition asserts that, sometime around 560, he became involved in a quarrel with Saint Finnian of Moville over a psalter. Columba copied the manuscript at the scriptorium under Saint Finnian, intending to keep the copy. Saint Finnian disputed his right to keep the copy. The dispute eventually led to the pitched Battle of Cúl Dreimhne in 561, during which many men were killed. A synod of clerics and scholars threatened to excommunicate him for these deaths, but St. Brendan of Birr spoke on his behalf with the result that he was allowed to go into exile instead. Columba suggested that he would work as a missionary in Scotland to help convert as many people as had been killed in the battle. He exiled himself from Ireland, to return only once again, several years later.

Columba's copy of the psalter has been traditionally associated with the Cathach of St. Columba. Scotland In 563 he travelled to Scotland with twelve companions, where according to his legend he first landed at the southern tip of the Kintyre peninsula, near Southend. However, being still in sight of his native land he moved further north up the west coast of Scotland. In 563 he was granted land on the island of Iona off the west coast of Scotland which became the centre of his evangelising mission to the Picts. However, there is a sense in which he was not leaving his native people, as the Irish Gaels had been colonizing the west coast of Scotland for the previous couple of centuries. Aside from the services he provided guiding the only centre of literacy in the region, his reputation as a holy man led to his role as a diplomat among the tribes; there are also many stories of miracles which he performed during his work to convert the Picts. He visited the pagan king Bridei, king of Fortriu, at his base in Inverness, winning the king's respect, although not his conversion. He subsequently played a major role in the politics of the country.

He was also very energetic in his evangelical work, and, in addition to founding several churches in the Hebrides, he worked to turn his monastery at Iona into a school for missionaries. He was a renowned man of letters, having written several hymns and being credited with having transcribed 300 books. One of the few, if not the only, times he left Scotland after his arrival was toward the end of his life, when he returned to Ireland to found the monastery at Durrow. He died on Iona and was buried in the abbey he created.Several islands are named after Columba in Scotland, including Ì Chaluim Chille (one of the Scottish Gaelic names of Iona), Inchcolm and Eilean Chaluim Chille. Lasting legacy Columba is credited as being a leading figure in the revitalization of monasticism, and "His achievements illustrated the importance of the Celtic church in bringing a revival of Christianity to Western Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire."[citation needed] It is said Clan Robertson are heirs of Columba.

Clan MacKinnon may also have some claim to being descendant of St Columcille as after he founded his Church on Isle Iona, The MacKinnons were the abbotts to the Church for centuries. This would also account for the fact that Clan MacKinnon is among the ancient clans of Scotland. The Parish of Saint Columbkille serves the neighborhood of Brighton, MA with a church and grammar school. The current church was built to be the Cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston since it is in the same neighborhood as the former Cardinal's residence, but does not serve in this function. Papillion, Nebraska also has a church and grammar school named after Saint Columbkille. Today, Aer Lingus, Ireland's national flag carrier has named one of its A330 aircraft in commemoration of the saint (reg: EI-DUO). Saint Columba is the patron saint of the city of Derry in Ireland. The saint founded a monastic settlement there in c. AD 540. The name of the city in Irish is Doire Colmcille and is derived from the native oak trees in the area and the city's association with the great saint.

Today, the Roman Catholic Church of Saint Columba's Long Tower stands at the spot of this original settlement. Vita Columbae The main source of information about Columba's life is the Vita Columbae by Adomnán (also known as Eunan), the ninth Abbot of Iona, who died in 704. Both the Vita Columbae and Bede record Columba's visit to Bridei. Whereas Adomnán just tells us that Columba visited Bridei, Bede relates a later, perhaps Pictish tradition, whereby the saint actually converts the Pictish king. Another early source is a poem in praise of Columba, most probably commissioned by Columba's kinsman, the king of the Uí Néill clan. It was almost certainly written within three or four years of Columba's death and is the earliest vernacular poem in European history. It consists of 25 stanzas of four verses of seven syllables each. The vita of Columba contains a story that has been interpreted as the first reference to the Loch Ness Monster.

According to Adomnán, Columba came across a group of Picts who were burying a "poor little man" who had been killed by the monster, and saved a swimmer with the sign of the Cross and the imprecation "You will go no further," at which the beast fled terrified, to the amazement of the assembled Picts who glorified Columba's God. Whether or not this incident is true, Adomnan's text specifically states that the monster was swimming in the River Ness - the river flowing from the loch - rather than in Loch Ness itself. Through the reputation of its venerable founder and its position as a major European centre of learning, Columba's Iona became a place of pilgrimage. A network of Celtic high crosses marking processional routes developed around his shrine at Iona. Columba is historically revered as a warrior saint, and was often invoked for victory in battle. His relics were finally removed in 849 and divided between Alba and Ireland. Relics of Columba were carried before Scottish armies in the reliquary made at Iona in the mid-8th century, called the Brecbennoch.

Legend has it that the Brecbennoch, was carried to Bannockburn by the vastly outnumbered Scots army and the intercession of the Saint helped them to victory. It is widely thought that the Monymusk Reliquary is this object. O Columba spes Scotorum... "O Columba, hope of the Scots" begins a 13th century prayer in the Antiphoner of Inchcolm, the "Iona of the East." A Prayer of St. Columba Let me bless almighty God, whose power extends over sea and land, whose angels watch over all. Let me study sacred books to calm my soul: I pray for peace, Let me do my daily work, gathering seaweed, catching fish, giving food to the poor. Let me say my daily prayers, sometimes chanting, sometimes quiet, Delightful it is to live on a peaceful isle, in a quiet cell, serving the King of kings. Links BBC - History - Scottish History Scottish History Contact Us St Columba (Colum Cille) Of all the Dark Age Scottish saints, Columba is the most spectacular star.

In 563 AD Columba left Ireland and settled with the Gaels of Dál Riata, where he was granted the Island of Iona to found his monastery. For the Gaelic warrior kings, Columba was a useful asset. His monastery provided education for their sons, he was a close advisor to the king, and he served as a diplomat to the kings neighbours in Pictland and Ireland. Columbas blessing was treasured by kings - a powerful symbol of their authority, and, in return for Columbas support, the Gaels gave the monastery land and protection. Columba died in 597, but his monasterys influence continued to grow, leading to the foundation of new monasteries in Ireland and as far away as Lindisfarne in Northumbria. In Pictland, Columban monks began to spread the word of Christianity in the seventh century. Iona faced competition from other Irish monastic missions, however, and their religious power was not absolute. St Mael Rhuba at Applecross or St Donnan, who was martyred on the Isle of Eigg, were also contenders as early spiritual leaders of the Church.

Columba himself would have remained an enigmatic and little-known figure were it not for Adomnán, the ninth Abbot of Iona, and his book, the Vita Colum Cille (Life of Columba), which ensured that the saint's reputation eclipsed that of the other Scottish saints and spread Ionas fame across Christendom. Pilgrimage to Iona increased: kings wished to be buried near to Columba, and a network of Celtic high crosses and processional routes developed around his shrine. At its zenith Iona produced The Book of Kells, a masterpiece of Dark Age European art. Shortly after however, in 794 AD, the Vikings descended on Iona, and, within 50 years, they had extinguished the light which had been Iona. Columbas relics were finally removed in 849 AD and divided between Alba and Ireland. The Monymusk Reliquary, from around 750 AD, probably contained a relic of St Columba. It became a powerful symbol of nationhood, and was carried before the Scots army as it marched into war.

This reliquary is thought to be the Brechbennoch which was carried by the Scots at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Iona History Trails St Columba - definition of St Columba by The Free Dictionary St Columba - definition of St Columba by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Thesaurus , Encyclopedia , Wikipedia . Co·lum·ba A constellation in the Southern Hemisphere near Caelum and Puppis. Also called Dove. [Latin columba, dove.] Columba also Col·um (kŭl′əm), Saint 521-597. Irish missionary who established a monastery on the island of Iona and subsequently Christianized northern Scotland. Columba n, Latin genitive Columbae (kəˈlʌmbiː) (Astronomy) as in Alpha Columbae. a small constellation in the S hemisphere south of Orion [Latin, literally: dove] (kəˈlʌmbə) n (Biography) Saint. ?521–597 ad, Irish missionary: founded the monastery at Iona (563) from which the Picts were converted to Christianity.

Feast day: June 9 Co•lum•ba Saint, A.D. 521–597, Irish missionary in Scotland. ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: Columbidae , family Columbidae - doves and pigeons Columba livia , rock dove , rock pigeon - pale grey Eurasian pigeon having black-striped wings from which most domestic species are descended Columba palumbus , cushat , wood pigeon , ringdove - Eurasian pigeon with white patches on wings and neck Translations Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us , add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content . Link to this page: dovish References in periodicals archive ? We, Province 37 of The Knights of St Columba, have held annual day out free of charge for all additional needs people from special schools and different organisations throughout NE Wales & NW England.

Footprints of the northern saints e following churches are Grade II listed buildings: St John the Evangelist 1865; Holy Trinity North Ormesby 1869; All Saints 1878; St Barnabus 1892; St Columba 1902; St Mary the Virgin Nunthorpe 1926; Sacred Heart 1932 formerly known as St Philomena until 1961. Copyright © 2003-2017 Farlex, Inc Disclaimer All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.

Question: Which Saint founded the monastery on the island of Iona and died there in 597 AD?
Answer: Saint Columba